A rebel's heart
by LittlemissSherlock
Summary: A twist on the hunger games books staring some familiar characters with a slightly different plot based around the memorable books by Suzanne Collins. Cato/OC. Rated T for violence and just in case. DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT MY OWN (OTHER THAN SOME CHARACTERS)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Cato POV

I had done it. I had become the victor of the 72nd annual Hunger Games. I was a victor! All the ungodly hours I spent training had finally paid off and had helped me work my way to the top.

As I stood at the wings of the stage, awaiting the call from Caeser Flickerman, my thoughts flew back to my mum and my little sister. I missed them so much and I did it for them. I won because dad would stop hitting them and blaming them for distracting me from training and he hit Violetta, my little sister, especially as she was not excelling in the academy as I once did. She was young and hated violence.

"Now please welcome, the victor of the 72nd annual Hunger Games, Cato Aurelius!" Caesar Flickerman's voice boomed out in the large stage and a large round of applause rang out with cheering and whooping. I hopped on the stage putting on the best smile I could even though I had seen one of the people I had grown up with murdered before my eyes. I sat down on one of the colourful stage chairs with Caesar sitting across from me.

"So Cato, how are you feeling as the new victor of the Hunger Games?" He asked in his usual stage voice.

"I'm feeling great! It's a great honour to my district and my family," I replied. In my head the answer was, "happy to be alive Caesar and how can _you_ be so cheery year after year of watching kids murder each other?"

"I'm sure it is. What might your family be doing right now?"

"I would like to think they were celebrating at my victory. I'm sure my mum is glad I'm alive," I joked, trying to make it believable. I know my mum wouldn't be celebrating. She'd be hiding but relieved that I was still alive. She would also want me home as soon as possible.

"And you have a little sister as well," he said. I felt sick to my stomach. I really didn't want to talk about Violetta on television.

"Yes."

"And what age is she?"

"...10," my voice cracked.

"Maybe in a few years she'll be sitting on that chair," he laughed. I thought, "over my dead body." there was no way my little sister will be put through the horrors I just survived. But I just said.

"Maybe."

"Thank you again, Cato and congratulations!" Caesar Flickerman closed and stood up. I got off my seat shortly after with a convincing fake smile on my face as the audience clapped and cheered me off-stage.

"Well done," Brutus, my mentor, grunted, "go upstairs and sleep. You travel home tomorrow." So I went back to my room, flopped on the bed and slowly drifted into a deep sleep.

Janey POV

District 12. The poorest of the poor while the Capitol lives the life of luxury. Even the peacekeepers bend the law to survive here. The annual Hunger Games had just finished for this year and - surprise, surprise - a career won it. The careers are trained from a young age to fight. They come from districts 1,2,3 and 4, normally, as those districts are close with the Capitol and live a wealthier lifestyle. They're not really meant to do it but because they are so powerful no one tries to stop them.

Here, things are a little different. We don't live in luxury. We can barely afford food and oil! The electricity here is faulty and blacks out several times through out the year but the one time it never blacks out is during the hunger games. Just so the parents of the two children reaped can watch them get killed at the cornucopia. We are practically defenceless against the rest of the districts and our tributes usually die in the first five minutes. We do have one living victor though, our only victor. Haymitch Abernathy. Also known as district 12's drunkard. He is normally seen with a bottle of scotch in his hand while spouting drunken, slurred nonsense in the middle of the night.

"Jane, could you help me move this table?" Pansy Chryslle asked. It was one of my volunteer days. I help out with the younger ages in the school when I didn't have classes of my own. On my own school days I had to go in and learn all the essential skills for womanhood on other days. Such as; sewing, knitting, cooking, not being a burden to my husband and raising children. I hated it. I had no parents, I lived by myself and I have survived without needing to knit!

"Sure," I replied simply. My parents were part of the resistance in district 12 and once the Capitol found out, they took them away. I have not seen them since I was 5 and I don't think I ever will. My parents hid me when special peacekeepers came to arrest them. They hid me in a cupboard and I saw the whole thing. To say the least, I wasn't the Capitol's biggest fan. As I have continued their work and am part of the very organisation the Capitol fears most.

I have my dad's old throwing knives and my mum's bow and arrows. I kept them hidden under a secret cupboard under one of the wooden floorboards in my house along with my hunting clothes and some of the money I get for the game I sell. I hunt just over the district boundary. It's against the rules and there's a supposed electric fence to keep us in our district but it's normally never electric and you can climb through it easily. The only way to tell if it's electric is if there is a faint hum but there normally isn't.

Cato POV

I had gotten onto the Capitol shuttle train on my journey back home to district 2 but not before I had to be pleasant and grateful to the extravagant people of the Capitol by waving and smiling until both arms and my face hurt.

The shuttle itself was quick and I was back in my own district by late afternoon. I had to wave and smile for my own district in front our justice building for 10 minutes with Brutus and Enobaria at my side before I was ushered into the justice building and shortly picked up and taken home by my dad. I only saw him in the crowd when I arrived back. He probably locked 'etta and mum in the house while he went out to congratulate his "only useful child". Dad was a weapons tester for the Capitol, bringing home a box of new and improved peacekeeper weapons everyday. When 'etta and I were old enough to handle them he let us practice with them. Etta refused which put here in dad's bad books but I didn't. I was young and naive back then.

Dad tried to talk to me about how proud he was of me and how well I had done. But I didn't respond to his questions. I just wanted to go home and apologise to mum for volunteering and make sure her and Etta were alright.

We got home to our large house but I didn't feel like I was back. The memory of seeing Clove dead still haunted me whether I was asleep or awake. I walked through the large front door and walked straight through the house into the kitchen. We must have gotten a new servant as mum was there showing her the basics on preparing food. She was so wrapped up in what she was doing she didn't see me come in. There was a fresh bruise on her cheek but other than that, most of her previous wounds were completely healed or faded.

"Mum?" I croaked. My voice cracked with emotion. I was glad dad wasn't there to hear me. She turned around in shock at my voice. Her blue eyes welled up with tears as her small, feeble frame ran into my large, muscular arms.

"Oh, my boy!" she sobbed into my right shoulder. I enveloped her as my eyes pricked with tears.

"I'm sorry I volunteered. I didn't mean to put you through that," I apologised. Small tear-drops were falling onto the floor, closely missing her back. She leaned back in the circle of my arms to look me in the eye. She took my face in both hands and gave me a small smile.

"I'm just glad you're alive," she said simple with a single tear slowly rolling down the curve of her cheek. She bent my head down, went onto the tips of her toes and gave me a small kiss on my forehead, "she's upstairs in her room." I smiled back and gave her a kiss on the cheek before running up the stairs, two steps at a time. Dad was still nowhere to be found, fortunately. I walked briskly down the long, brown-carpeted hallway; trying not to knock over any maids to get to Violetta's room. I shortened it to Etta when she was born and it stuck. Her room was the third on the left.

I opened the wooden door slowly. Her room was the same as I remembered. With pale pink and green walls and white-painted furniture opposite the door was a single bed with apple white bed sheets and a small figure lying on the bed with a book in her hand.

Much to dad's chagrin, Etta and I looked like mum. Although dad was pretty pleased when it turned out I was built like him, his hopes hit rock-bottom for Etta when she was almost a carbon copy of mum.

Mum had long blonde hair with deep blue eyes and pale skin. She had a small but neat frame and was unnaturally bony. Dad, on the other hand, was tall, dark and handsome. With a tall, muscular frame, chocolate brown hair and hazel eyes.

"Hey, Etta!" I called from the door. She immediately closed her book with an audible snap, leapt off her bed and ran straight towards me. She collided straight into my chest and I pulled her in for a large bear hug. I kept her there until she was hitting my arm, laughing and screaming into my chest.

"Let go-of me!" She shouted but it was a bit muffled. I chuckled darkly and dropped her down. The only part of dad in her was her hazel eyes. She was half my height so I knelt down so I could look her in the eye without hurting my neck. I studied her, looking for any fresh marks on her skin. But there wasn't any. Etta seemed to read my mind and answer my un-said question, "dad stopped just after you volunteered. He only bothered mum when she was crying about you not making it. He spent the rest of the time boasting to his friends about how confidant and strong you were."

"That was the only reason I volunteered. How was the academy?" I asked. I knew she hated it and always wanted to make things easier for her. I knew that she couldn't hurt a fly. She sighed, took my hand and lead me to sit on her bed beside her.

"Ever since you were in the arena, I got more attention from the instructors saying, 'you should be more like your brother' or 'your brother's in the hunger games, you should be a little less scared and follow in his footsteps'." she said in a mocking, high-pitched voice. I gave a small laugh and then gave her another hug. Not a friendly bear hug but a comforting and gentle hug. We stayed in that position until the call for dinner arrived.


	2. Chapter 2

We all sat round the dinner table which was covered in rich food. It was so full it looked like some of the plates were about to fall off! After having food rations in the arena, it looked like it was the most amount of food I had ever seen. But in reality, before the games, I ate like this _everyday_. Etta gave me an encouraging nod to eat something as I realised I was the only one who hadn't tucked into the mountains of meat, bread, fish, cheese and fruit.

I started eating. Filling my plate with rich meats, and rare, but tasty, cheeses and good quality bread imported from district 11. I ate and ate and ate until I had eaten so much I felt sick.

"You haven't eaten as much as you usually do, Cato. Is something wrong?" Dad asked. I felt my hand clench around the bottom of my knife. Etta, who was sitting beside me, noticed and gave me a comforting pat on the knee.

"No," I said simply. But in my mind I was going, "no. But I don't think I have the appetite to eat so much rich food after living off food rations, killing several other teenagers for the Capitol's entertainment and watching my childhood friend get her neck snapped in front of me as she called out my name in panic."

"I got my test scores back!" Etta said abruptly, shattering the awkward silence. My neck whipped around to look at her. We both knew she didn't do well and a beating was in for her. I knew she was only saying it to save my skin by putting her neck on the chopping block; even though she would never admit it, "I've improved. I got 5."

"Well done, sweetheart," mum said with a warm smile. She giddily giggled in response.

"That's really good Etta! You've improved by 3 points from the last score I heard," I said with fake enthusiasm as I patted her on the back.

"5!" dad exploded, "CATO WAS GETTING 9 BY YOUR AGE!"

"Dad, she's improving. Etta's slowly but surely getting better," It seemed to calm him down and make him drop the subject but I was prepared for the next explosive argument if it ever cropped up again.

The conversation shrivelled and died into awkward silence until dessert. The same amount of dishes but with just a lot of them covered in cream and smothered in chocolate. At the academy, during preparation and the Hunger Games I wasn't allowed dessert. My stomach was still full from all the food from the main course but I pushed myself to eat more as if I didn't, dad would be asking the unwanted questions again.

"Cato, after your victory tour I have set up a career for you to pursue. I have asked an old friend to help and he got back to me this morning with a peacekeeper position," dad piped up. I didn't mind peacekeeping. Here, there was nothing around here to stop. It was peace-central.

"Cool."

"In district 12," he finished. The food in my mouth became an unappetising lump. I forced myself to swallow.

"What?!"

"It was the only position available and I'm sure district 12 isn't _that_ bad."

"Dad. You don't understand! I have been away from my family for 2 months and I hated it and now that I'm back, you want me to go on my victory tour - without my family - , finish it, then go away for an undecided amount of time. No."

"But-"

"No. Dad," I said firmly as I got up from my chair, "excuse me." I left the dining room and went upstairs to my own room. I stayed there and thought about everything. The job, family, district 12 and the horrors I had witnessed in the arena.

_The cornucopia had been laden with crates of food. Clove and I were piling them up, one on top of the other, in our arms. It was us and the boy from 3 and the girl from 5. They had teamed up against us. I was picking up crates at the back of the cornucopia when I heard Clove's shriek behind me._

_The boy from 3 had her in a tight headlock. I dropped the crates of food in my arms and ran at full speed towards him until something hard hit me on the back of the head. I fell onto the dewy grass and saw the blurry image of the girl from 5 grinning down at me with a metal pole in her hands. I looked up at the boy from 3 with Clove in his grasp..._

I lay down with my head in my hands, trying to ward off the memory but it just continued...

_"Night, night, district 2," the boy cackled as Clove's movements and voice became more panicked. She was completely at his mercy and there was nothing I could do._

_"CATO! CATO! HELP ME, CATO, PLEASE! HELP ME!" She shrieked and squirmed. My head was still spinning, I couldn't get up, "HELP ME! CA-"_

_snap._

_Clove's lifeless body fell with a thud on the ground beside me from district 3's hands. Fury and adrenaline coursed through my system. I sobered up in a second._

_"NOOOOOOOO!" I yelled as I leapt up, pushed district 5 into the hard wall of the cornucopia which knocked her unconscious, I then took her sword and dragged it deep into district 3's chest while simultaneously watching the light vanish from his eyes. I then dropped him and gave the same fate to 5 when she re-entered consciousness._

_I ran over to Clove's limp corpse, knelt beside her and closed her eyes as the speaker announced that I had won._

If I took the peacekeeping job in 12, I wouldn't have to mentor those children, like myself, in the years to come. I heard dad shouting below me and went to tell him my answer before he beat mum or Etta for the time being.

I rushed down the stairs to see dad dragging Etta by the collar of her dress, with mum scurrying behind them.

"5 IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" he roared at her, raising his other fist.

"DAD!" I shouted. his gaze flicked to me and he slowly lowered his fist. He pulled Etta close.

"We'll finish this later. Go to your room!" he ordered, forcing her in the direction of the stairs. Etta quietly walked up the stairs.

As she passed me she breathed a barely audible, "thank you." I couldn't reply without being heard so I didn't but I would make it up to her.

"I'll go," I said firmly to to him. I walked down the stairs to join him and mum.

"That's great!" he replied, "I'll go call my-"

"But only if Etta comes with me," I added. My dad's face froze in shock and surprise.

"_Etta?_" he asked, looking for confirmation.

"Yes, Etta," I replied firmly.

"But...but...she...has to go to the academy," he stammered, trying to find a reason why she can't come with me.

"She's not doing as well as either of us hoped in the academy, so I don't want to miss my family, and she needs toughening up," I proposed, "So what better way for me to go do that job and have a family member with me while simultaneously toughening Etta up."

"H...how will district 12, 'toughen her up'?" he asked, wishing he was the one coming with me.

"Well, there's no better way to deal with violence and get a tougher skin than in an outskirt district - the most outskirt district of them all!" An with that statement, I won the argument.

"Ok, fine. Etta will join you on your victory tour and once you reach district 12, you're both staying."

"Thanks dad!" I smiled and ran upstairs to go tell Etta.

"Is he coming up for my beating?" she asked me as that's what I'd usually do once dad and her got in a fight and I interrupted before they finished.

"Nope," I said simply, walking over and joining her on the bed, "you and I are moving to district 12."


	3. Chapter 3

Janey POV

The forest just over the district boundary was my sanctuary. I could be left alone and hunt. It gave me space to think away from everyone else and their lives.

I climbed up to a high branch on a tree. I could see a grey squirrel munching in peace on the tree opposite. It's large, dark eyes hadn't noticed me yet so I used the moment to my advantage. I pulled a small but sharp throwing knife out of my dad's (now mine) old hunting jacket. The dark brown leather helped me blend in with the forest, and my bright red hair did not. I aimed at the squirrel and when it turned its head a gave a sharp flick of my wrist which sent the knife flying straight into the creature's eye. I always hit the eye. It kills the animal instantly and it doesn't ruin the meat. And we need all the meat we can get as the capitol won't let us get it unless we pay the price. Tesserae. Were we put our name in more times for the hunger games reaping.

I caught another squirrel and a couple of chaffinch and put them in my games bag. I trudged out of the forest and back over the district boundary in my high, laced up, leather hunting boots. I dropped off my weapons, hid them carefully under the floorboards, picked up my bag full of the meat I caught and headed to the hob.

The hob was our version of the black market in an old, run-down warehouse. Buyers and traders bought and sold what they needed under the capitol's nose. Several peacekeepers had swapped sides and shop regularly there for their meat especially. I walked up to Greasy Sae's stall in the far corner.

"Whatcha got?" she asked. I pulled my game bag over my shoulder and set it in front of her. She opened it up and inspected the contents, "not bad for late autumn."

"Thanks, how much?" I ordered.

"You're almost too like your mother," she said looking into my blue eyes. The only thing that physically resembled my mother. She set beside the bag a small box of freshly picked strawberries and took a squirrel out of the bag and placed it beside the strawberries. She raised her eyebrows in question.

"Deal," I replied out loud which I accompanied with a sharp nod. I took the strawberries and squirrel and put them in my other game bag. Sae and I just swap the bags every time I come.

I went some of the peacekeepers' houses with the strawberries. I had some I had picked at home and the money would give me some more oil for the winter.

After I had finished my hunting and selling it was mid-afternoon and I had only just gotten home and changed. I was now in a plain, faded blouse and washed out jeans with a rip at the left knee. I took my hunting braid out and let my red hair flow down my back.

There was a knock at the door. I answered and Antalia Nogron (a classmate) stood at the door.

"Did I forget something?" I asked. Wondering what she was doing here.

"Yes, the new peacekeeper is here!" she exclaimed.

"Oh!" I replied. I pulled on another pair of battered and over-used shoes and followed her to the - sort of - centre of the small town.

It was completely full. Most of the population of district 12 was there, probably persuaded by force, to cheer the new victor of the 72nd annual hunger games. While we were walking, Antalia got me caught up on the whole situation - or at least what she knew of it. The new victor was becoming our new peacekeeper. I hated new peacekeepers. They are always so strict about the rules until they realise (about 6 months in) that the rules have to be rewritten if they want to survive. The worst case was that this new one was a victor, a trained killer that had already been tested and had been given enough food to last a year and then add on the 6 months of him breaking down, half the village would be dead by the time he came around to breaking the rules.

"Just what we need right now," I muttered bitterly, capturing Antalia's attention again, "a peacekeeper that we all know will be hard to break."

"I know that he's a career and killed one of our people but, um...you gotta admit...he's pretty hot," she admitted. I rolled my eyes and sighed in disgust.

Cato POV

The end of the victory tour. I had just entered the district 12 justice building after giving a completely choreographed speech. Etta was already there waiting for me. She rushed up to me in her usual way and gave me as hard a hug as she could around my middle. I put my arms around her and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"What was that for?" I asked. It wasn't unusual to hug me, in fact it was pretty ordinary. She thought about it for a minute.

"Good Luck. For our new life here. Away from the Academy," she replied. I contemplated what she said for a moment and smiled.

"Yeah, ok. Good luck," I smiled, pulling her back into my arms and carrying her through to a waiting room where we were meant to stay until a peacekeeper came to direct us the victor's village.

When the peacekeeper finally came, the crowds had dispersed other than a few in clumps who were standing, talking and not paying any attention to me or Etta.

We finally arrived at our house, next to district 12's very own victor, Haymitch Abernathy. He came to the door to "welcome" us and asked if we had any drink. I could smell the scotch off his clothes and the empty bottle in his hand was also a give away. I simply said no and shut the door in his face. I heard him grumbling outside for a couple of minutes and then he walked away. I rolled my eyes and made a noise of disgust.

I turned back to the living room expecting to see Etta but she wasn't there. I went down the hallway, past the kitchen, the bathroom and a bedroom until I reached to door at the end of the hall. I was hoping it wasn't a closet as Etta would probably jump out at me, scare the living daylights out of me and then tease me for the foreseeable future.

Luckily, it wasn't. It was, obviously, the master bedroom. It had a good quality double bed with a bedside table at each side and beige carpet. Etta was lying, spread out on the double bed. The tips of her arms and legs touched all four corners of the bed.

"I'm claiming this bed," she groaned satisfyingly.

"Oh, really?" I asked jokingly, shoving her right arm and leg over to the other side of the bed and lying down beside her.

"Yes, really," she replied in the same tone. I gave her a stern-ish look and she collapsed in giggles, "please let me have this bed. Even if it's just for tonight." She gave me her signature pout and I surrendered.

"Fine," I surrendered and held up my index finger, "one night." She giggled in triumph and shoved me off the bed.

"Night!" she shouted to me at the doorway.

"Night, Etta."

The next day Etta was expected to be in the new school. She was under a new name. Violetta Orin. And it was her first day. No one would know who she was and, judging by her looks, think she was originally from district 4.

I walked down the hall to the master bedroom, where the previous night Etta took the largest bed in the house for herself.

"Etta, time to get up," I called gently. I peered into the dark room and turned on the light in the hope of waking her from her slumber. But she was already awake, sitting on the edge of the bed and clasping her hands with nervous energy.

"I'm nervous," she said simply. I sat down beside her and took her knotted hands in mine.

"I know," I sighed, "this is going to be strange and scary. But know that I will be right here when you get back." She gave me a small smile and we both got up and prepared ourselves for the day ahead.

**Author's note: Would love some feedback. Praise and criticism, i don't care, just keep reading, reviewing, favouriting and following ang I will keep writing.**


	4. Chapter 4

Janey POV

It was another, simply volunteer day. I sat at the back of a classroom full of 10-12 year olds and thought of some of these children in the arena. They are not like the wealthier district children. They never hope to be put in the games, they never just hope it's not them being chosen.

A small frame walked up to me. It was Pansy's daughter, Rose. She always gave me a hug in the mornings that I was there. I enveloped her small figure and said me good mornings to rest of the class. She eventually let go after her mother/teacher told everyone to take their seats. I sat at the back like normal and waited for her to do her morning announcements.

"Good morning, class," Pansy welcomed in her soothing, teacher-voice. The reply from the class was the same, slow, unsynchronised mumbles that always had to be done a second time for Pansy to accept they weren't going to bother, "today we have a new student joining us, from another district."

A couple of pupils gasped. They had never seen anyone directly from a different district. The peacekeepers would count if they hadn't been here so long and considered themselves district 12. Some murmurs sweeped through the class and I sat up in my chair. I was quite curious as to what was going on. Pansy moved her vision to the door and waved someone in.

This someone was quite tall for a 10 year old. She had long, blonde hair that covered her face. She had long bony arms and legs but had unusual eyes. She stood in front of the class, refusing to look any of her new classmates in the eye. She was nervous. Judging by her features I would guess that she was from district 4.

Etta POV

I was waved in by the teacher through the door and faced with a class of boys and girls who are around the same age as me. They all had thin faces and were all pretty grey. Most of them had mousey hair and starved bodies. I couldn't help but feel sorry for them and realise all the things I had taken for granted.

One person stood out though. She must be a helper as she was significantly older than the pupils but not past her teens. She had bright red hair and curious green eyes. She sat at the back of the room and looked over the rest of the pupils' reactions before her gaze reached me. She looked at me with curiosity but there was a certain softness in her gaze.

"Everyone, this is Violetta Orin," the teacher's announcement of my name made the class calm down and the teacher beckoned me closer to her desk for a small talk, "Violetta, my name is Mrs Chryselle and the girl at the back with red hair is Jane. She's my assistant on certain days and she will keep you right."

"Thank you," I managed to say quietly. She pointed to a table with only a few pupils at it and the girl, Jane, talking animatedly to them.

"Over there is your table. If you have any questions, ask Jane or myself." I nodded in reply and walked to the back of the room to the table. I could feel dozens of eyes burning onto me, scrutinising every move I made. I sat down on the chair beside the assistant.

"Lower your shoulders," a voice whispered beside me. It was the assistant, Jane, "you're letting everyone here know your petrified. Don't." Even though she had said it firmly, there was a softness in her voice that made me feel at ease. I relaxed my shoulders and Jane gave me a small smile.

"Thank you," I breathed, "what do I do now?"

I spent the rest of the day getting introduced to the people at my table; Tobias, Cavin, Anissa, Emery and Piper, and spending time, getting to know Jane. I learnt that she had been on her own since she was five because her parents left, she had no siblings and she had lived in the same place all her life. When the time came to leave school, I walked part of the route home with her. When we came to the place where we had to go in opposite directions I said my farewells.

"Thank you for helping me today," I said. She gave a small smile of appreciation.

"It was a pleasure, Etta," she replied. I also had told her to call me Etta as that is what my older brother called me. I didn't mention who my brother was and she didn't seem to mind.

"Ditto. Will I see you again tomorrow?" I asked, making conversation and trying to stall going back.

"No, I have class," she replied sadly. She looked at the battered watch on her wrist, "I'm sorry, Etta but I have an errand to run and it needs to be finished by a certain time. I'll see you in a few days."

She turned her back on me and walked. I called a good bye. Still walking she turned around, smiled and turned her back again. I went in the opposite direction.

Cato POV

Etta arrived home with a smile on her face, talking about how nice the people at her table were and some kid named Jane. I cooked some meat and took out some of the bread I won in the hunger games and we sat down for dinner.

"When are you on duty?" she asked pleasantly.

"Not for another couple of days, but I think we should go and have a look around after dinner, before it gets dark," I suggested. She nodded vigorously in reply. We continued to eat our dinner where Etta managed to turn almost every conversation over to her new friend, Jane.

Jane wasn't an ordinary name. It was very unique and strange. We finished eating and got ready. I left the dishes on a bucket, claiming that I would do them later. Both Etta and I knew that wasn't going to happen but we didn't say anything.

I changed into a dusty-white t-shirt and light brown trousers, while Etta changed into a worn jacket, a plain t-shirt, a pair of dark brown trousers and worn pumps.

We trekked around the village for 10 minutes until I noticed a shadowy figure running towards the district boundary. I took Etta's arm and pulled her to follow me and we went in the same direction as the mysterious person. They obviously didn't want to be spotted. Who would want to be spotted trying to break the law. I was lucky Etta was a quick enough runner, so I didn't have to slow down and wait for her.

We reached the district border which was guarded by an electric fence. I could see the figure running into the edges of the forest. How did they get past without being electrocuted? Etta walked in front of me and answered the question for me. She touched the wire but there was no cracking noises or Etta's screams of pain. The electricity wasn't working. I found a large enough opening for me and slid in between the wires. Etta followed suit and we made our way into the forest.

It was breath taking. Green all around, even when you looked up. The dim sun was just enough to see and it made things look magical. I heard Etta gasp beside me. She felt the same. We continued to walk, hoping we'd find the law-breaker and ask them what the hell they are doing.

We kept walking until we reached a piece of cleared undergrowth with the larger trees towering over us. I stepped on a something hard but it wasn't a twig. It didn't snap, but it raised a tight-knotted loop out of the dirt and securely around my ankle. The clicking of clockwork raised me up until I was hanging upside-down by the ankle from a tree.

Etta stood shocked, looking up at me.

"Help me Etta!" I shouted, "try and pull me down!" I reached my hands toward her but she could only just reach my fingertips. I could feel all my blood rushing to my head, making me feel dizzy and my head feel heavy. Etta was jumping frantically to reach my hands that she stepped on another booby trap. A net came flying out of the bushes and pinned her to another tree.

"Cato! I can't get out!" she screamed. I shook frantically in the hope of getting myself free, I could get her free after and we would both leave before someone found us. No such luck. I bent up on myself to see if I could reach the knot and untie myself when the faint whistle of an arrow reached the rope and cut through it in a single snap. I plummeted to the ground and landed on my back. I got back on my feet, groaning in pain as I looked into the face of my rescuer and possible attacker.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my forest?"

**Author's Note: There you go. Chapter 4, please R&R and I will write more. **


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